Of Partings
by WalkingThroughDreams
Summary: Two children meet. One knows nothing but suffering. The other knows nothing but wealth and love. Unfortunately for some, all things must end with partings. Child!Harry and Draco


**Harry: **Seven years old

**Draco: **Five years old

**Of Partings**

by

WalkingThroughDreams

The green eyed boy watched with passive eyes as the other children danced and jumped around him. Every once in awhile a passing child turned and invited him to join them. He declined with a polite smile and the children carried on as if he was the last thing on their mind now. He shook his head, not understanding how others could be so simple. His eyes scanned the laughing children and their parents, feeling a twitch of longing; though a twitch so small he paid it no mind.

He really didn't mind living with his relatives. Sure, they may make him do all the chores and sleep in the cupboard, but they left him alone with his thoughts, a place he loved to be. The only reason he was at the playground at the moment was because he had been forced to accompany his cousin Dudley. He didn't know _why_ but he figured that if he made his relatives happy, then he would at least get a little break from their constant whining. _That_ _is one thing I can do without._

He sighed in exasperation when a little girl began crying do to his cousin's bullying. A small laugh escaped his mouth when the mother harshly reprimanded the overweight boy and carried her daughter away.

"Dudley, knock it off!" the seven year old boy called.

His cousin's face turned a sickly puce color, reminding the boy very much of his giant uncle. Dudley waddled over to him and stood menacingly over him. "Shut up, freak!"

The boy raised a cool eyebrow. "I was told to watch you so that you didn't get into much trouble," he replied softly. "I'm just following my orders."

Dudley grinned, baring his teeth. "Well, if I get in trouble it's _you_ who'll get punished. So I don't have to listen to you."

The boy snorted and looked away. "Go play with your friends, Dudley. Try not to cause to much of a racket."

Dudley laughed and waddled away. "Yes, Mum," he sneered sarcastically.

The boy watched him go; only letting the distaste show on his face as soon as his cousin was no longer looking at him. He tensed, felling a presence behind him.

"Why did you do that?"

The boy looked over his shoulder to see a much smaller boy with blond hair standing behind him with a curious expression on his face. "Do what?"

The blond boy clamored up onto the bench next to him. "Why are you nice to him if you don't like him?"

"Because if I'm not nice to him, I'll get in a lot of trouble," Harry murmured.

The blond boy gripped his arm when he tried to stand up and walk away, stopping him in his tracks. "My name's Draco. What's yours?"

The boy was a little taken aback. This was the first time that anyone had tried to genuinely introduce themselves to him. "My name's Harry," he said cautiously, subtly yanking on his arm, hoping that the blond would get the message and _let go_.

Either the blond was ignoring him or he didn't understand what Harry was trying to do. "Do you want to play with me?" Draco asked, giving Harry a wide-eyed hopeful look.

Harry frowned. "Look. I don't have time to play with little kids. I have a job I'm doing and I would really appreciate it if you left me alone." He pulled his arm none too gently out of Draco's grasp and moved away, ignoring the tears he had seen in the little boy's eyes.

He walked over to a tree and settled on his stomach in the shade, keeping one eye one his cousin at all times. It was a habit he had developed over the years and he barely even noticed he did it anymore.

Moments later, bare feet padded into his vision. The feet turned into knees, which turned into gray-blue eyes as Draco lay down in from of him. "You don't have any friends," Draco said, determination in his voice. "I want to be your friend."

Harry closed his eyes and dropped his head. "Didn't I just tell you to leave me alone?"

"Yeah, but _listen_!" Draco gripped his hair and tugged a little. Harry glared at the boy. "My mama told me that when people don't want to play with you that means that they're shy. So I'm making you not shy by being your friend." A toothy grin was aimed at him and he quietly groaned. Whatever Mother this boy had was obviously delusional.

"I don't _want_ to be your friend, okay?" Harry snapped, watching the boy's face fall. "Go be friends with someone else but _leave me alone_."

"But—"

Harry leveled his harshest glared at the little boy.

Draco paled and looked away, but gathered his nerve just as quickly. "Fine!" he shouted. "At least I _have_ friends and I'm not some big meanie head!" He quickly jumped to his feet and ran away.

Harry stared after him, a small frown on his face. He shook his head and relaxed again, closing both of his eyes but still seeing Dudley's actions in his head. It was one of the many freakish things that he could do.

Harry had his peace for about ten minutes before Dudley decided to act out again. He opened his eyes and watched as Dudley approached Draco, looking ready for a fight. Harry sighed and sat up, but didn't intervene. He'd see how far Dudley was willing to take anything before he did something about it.

Draco looked up from his sand sculpture that he was making and glared at the approaching Dudley. He scrambled in front of the sculpture, protectively sitting in front of it. Harry watched this with interest.

Dudley stood in front of Draco with his little bullying friends surrounding him. Draco didn't lose his brave face. Words spewed from Dudley's mouth, but Harry couldn't hear what was being said. Draco furiously shook his head and said something in return. Harry read his name on the boy's lips.

Dudley shoved Draco back and the little boy fell into the sand, looking shocked and hurt. Harry slowly moved to his feet, feeling unfamiliar stirrings of protectiveness rising in his gut.

Draco's sculpture was the next to fall. That seemed to hurt Draco more than being pushed over did. He shouted something at Dudley, but Harry only caught the words, '…you fat bully!' He groaned in aggravation. If there was one thing that you didn't call Dudley, it was fat. Harry moved quickly now. He didn't get to the sandbox before Dudley kicked sand in Draco's face though.

Draco cried out and covered his eyes.

"Dudley!" Harry called calmly, stepping up to his cousin for the sixth time in the same day.

"Well, if it isn't little Harry, coming to defend his boyfriend."

Harry rolled his eyes and looked Dudley straight in the eyes. That always seemed like the best way to get Dudley to do what he wanted. "This is the last warning I'm going to give you before we're going home. I may get in trouble if you cause trouble, but it's _you_ who gets in trouble if you don't stay with me. If I have to go home because of one more incident and you aren't with me then it'll be you who has to face the consequences."

Dudley sputtered for a moment before growling and walking away with his friends tagging along behind him.

Harry turned towards Draco who was still on the ground with his hands over his eyes. He knelt down in front of the boy and tugged at his hands. Draco resisted and shouted: "No!"

"Let me look, kid," Harry ordered, giving the hands another tug.

"Only if you 'plologize and be my friend," Draco muttered.

Harry stared disbelievingly at the boy. Draco was in pain and he wanted an _apology_ before he got help? What was up with the kid? Harry took a deep breath and decided to be the bigger person. "I deeply apologize for my wrong doings and it would be an honor to be your friend," he said gallantly, quoting a line he had heard in one of his aunt's favorite television shows.

Draco giggled and removed his hands. His eyes were closed tightly with a few tears dripping from them, giving his face a ridiculous scrunched up look.

Harry grabbed the boy's wrist and led him out of the sandbox. Draco stumbled blindly behind him. When the reached the shade of the trees, Harry sat down and pulled Draco down in front of him. "Can you open your eyes?" Harry asked.

Draco squinted for a moment before closing them again. "It hurts," he cried.

Harry bit his lip and stared at Draco's face, unsure about what he should do. He may be more intelligent that most kids his age, but that didn't mean that he knew what to do if an annoying brat got sand in his eyes.

After a moment on consideration, Harry decided that the best thing to do would be to get the sand off Draco's face first so that more sand couldn't fall into his eyes. Harry untied his sweater form around his waist and gripped one of the sleeves in his hand. "Close your mouth and eyes tight," he ordered.

Draco did so, puffing out his cheeks in the process. What an odd sight he made. Harry shook his head and set to work on dusting Draco's face off. When Harry was sure that he had gotten everything off the skin, he turned his attention to Draco's sandy hair.

"Stand up and lean over," he said, gaining an idea.

"Why?" Draco asked, doing what he asked.

"So I can get the sand out of your hair."

Harry stood in front of Draco's bent head, running his fingers through the soft locks and shaking the sand out. When he got it all the best that he could, he had Draco sit back down again. "Can you open your eyes yet?" he asked. Draco tried again with the same results.

"When I get shampoo in my eyes, my mama washes it out with water," Draco offered, as if sensing Harry's dilemma.

Harry hummed and looked over at the fountain. The water there wasn't very clean and would probably hurt Draco more than help him. His eyes scanned the park, briefly checking on Dudley before moving on. He remembered that there was a river a little ways away that was probably cleaner than the fountain. He made his decision. He stood up with Draco's hand in his and started leading the boy over to it. The boy stumbled behind him. The river was still in the view of the park so Harry didn't have a chance of getting in trouble for wandering off.

"How does your mum wash the shampoo out?" Harry asked.

Draco wrinkled his nose as he thought. "Well…she usually tells me to go under water with my eyes open and to blink a lot. It works, but it makes my eyes feel funny."

Harry tilted his head to the side and considered that option. It was probably the best thing for them to do. "Go ahead then. There's a river right in front of us. It'll have to do."

Draco looked unsure for a moment, but stumbled over to the river and ducked his head under. Harry gripped his shirt to keep him from falling in. It wouldn't be good for him to be the cause of a little boy's drowning. After a few seconds, Draco emerged with gasping breaths. He rubbed his hands over his face to get the water off and blinked rapidly. His eyes were slightly red, but he was able to keep them open.

"Do they feel better?" Harry asked, observing silently.

Draco smiled a toothy grin and nodded happily. "It doesn't hurt no more," he announced.

Harry nodded and turned back towards the park, walking carefully over some rocks.

"Wait!" Draco called, scrambling up after him.

Harry continued to move forward without pausing. He had done all he could for the little boy and now it was time for them to separate. Harry didn't have friends and he wasn't about to start. It wasn't as easy as it should have been to get away from the small blond boy. Draco latched onto the back of his shirt and refused to let go. "What!" Harry shouted, spinning on the boy. He ended up falling down when his shirt twisted tightly around his body, pulling him off balance.

Draco stared down at him with a dark frown. "You promised to be my friend," he stated, crossing his arms over his small chest.

Harry growled and pushed himself to his feet, wiping the dirt off his pants. "Well, I lied! I'm not friends with you or anybody else around here and it's going to stay that way!"

Draco's gray eyes filled with tears. "But you said—"

"Life's not fair, kid. The sooner you know that the better."

With that statement, Harry turned one his heel and walked away. He met no resistance this time and sighed in relief.

As he was leaving the park with a reluctant Dudley, he spotted a little blond boy running up to a beautiful woman and flinging himself around her legs. The woman picked him up with concern on her face and walked in the opposite direction.

Longing reared its head. The boy had a family that cared about him and didn't need a friend like Harry to expose him to the harsh realities of life. Maybe one day, if they met again, things would be different, but for now it was to be a life of partings.


End file.
